在2007年5月31日在葡萄牙卡斯卡伊斯市召开的欧洲蜡联邦会议上，My Energy 公司的Amy Claxton P.E. 女士发表了一篇论文，这篇论文概述了当前全球精炼市场的形势。当前全球有650个精炼厂其中有150个厂家生产润滑油基料， 80个厂生产石蜡，而30个厂生产全精炼石蜡。润滑油基料占到全球精炼能力的1%，FRP蜡和粗蜡占到0.1%。另外脱油蜡生产占到全球全精炼生产能力的20%。

全球精炼行业趋势主要取决于蜡行业发展。主要的趋势有以下三点：1. 中国能源需求；2. 机器润滑油规格的变动；3. 天然气转变液体燃料精炼技术的提高。

目前中国是石蜡的最大生产国，同时石蜡大量出口到美洲、欧洲，非洲和拉丁美洲。中国对燃料需求的日益增长使得沿海地区的精炼厂扩大含蜡量少的原油的进口，这种扩大趋势预计会影响到中国石蜡的供给。

趋势二，在美国，日本和欧洲更加严格的汽车润滑油的品质要求将导致I类润滑油以及其润滑油和石蜡生产厂在最近几年里难以抵御危机而面临倒闭，正如最近10到15年所发生的一样。

趋势三是天然气转液态燃料精炼技术的提高。这更加剧了I类润滑油和蜡厂的倒闭。卡塔尔作为选定的大型气转液工厂的地点，已经有一家工厂在从事这方面的生产，同时第二家工厂已经开始着手建设。在这里，费托蜡的生产不在计划内。

The paper by Ms. Amy Claxton P.E., of My Energy was presented to the European Wax Federation meeting at Cascais, Portugal on May 31, 2007. The paper outlines the situation of wax in the current global refining universe. Today there are 650 refineries of which 150 make lube basestocks. Of these, 80 produce paraffin wax and 30 refineries make fully refined paraffin waxes. Lube basestocks represent one percent of global refining capacity and FRP and slack waxes are 0.1 percent of refining capacity. In addition, deoilers produce 20 percent of the world’s fully refined paraffins.

Global refining trends are therefore critical to the wax business and the most important of these trends are the following: 1. China’s energy needs; 2. changes in engine oil specifications. 3. GTL refining progress. With regard to China, the country is now the largest producer of waxes in the world and is exporting large volumes of wax to No. American, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Growing Chinese demand for fuels is causing the expansion of Chinese coastal refineries to handle imported, low wax containing crude oils. Some of these expansions are expected to have a negative impact on the supply of Chinese wax.

The second trend, more stringent engine oil specifications in North America, Japan and Europe, will make Group I lube and wax plants vulnerable to closing in coming years as has occurred over the past 10-15 years. The third trends is Gas-To-Liquid refining progress. This will also trigger Group I lube and wax plant shut downs. Qatar is currently the proving grounds for large scale plants with one plant already operating and a second soon to start construction. No F-T waxes are planned for these plants.